Demirören Media Outlets Distort HDP Co-Chair Temelli's Words

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People's Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Sezai Temelli's remarks in a program he participated in the Artı TV has been censored in newspapers Posta, Hürriyet and television channel CNN Turk, the outlets owned by the Demirören Media Group.

Hürriyet, changing Temelli's words, used this title: "Open Threat and Confession by HDP Co-Chair Sezati Temelli: 'Not İmamoğlu and Yavaş, but HDP will rule İstanbul and Ankara.'"

Posta also used the title "Not Yavaş and İmamoğlu, but HDP to Rule," citing Temelli. Hürriyet Daily News, the group's English outlet, did not cover the story.

Mansur Yavaş and Ekrem İmamoğlu are the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) candidates for the metropolitan municipalities of the capital Ankara and İstanbul in the March 31 local elections.

Hurriyet used the pictures of İmamoğlu, Temelli and Yavaş (from left to right) together.

Reaction from CHP candidate İmamoğlu

Reacting to the stories, İmamoğlu said, "On the main page where you see the title, 'HDP will rule,' not a single story about me was published. My photogaph and 'HDP will rule!', who said this? HDP's co-chair. No, he did not say this, he did not!"

İmamoğlu then made a statement on Twitter:

"I call Hürriyet newspaper and CNN Türk television, who put unspoken words into headlines as if they were spoken, to end this false story and apologize."

What did Temelli say?

HDP Co-Chair Temelli, in a program he participated in the Artı TV, responded to criticism of the party's decision to not put up candidates for İstanbul and Ankara:

"Mansur Yavaş will know that if he is elected, he is elected with HDP's votes. He cannot do politics ignoring the HDP, the Kurds, he cannot do politics ignoring the people of Ankara. And this is our power.

"If Ekrem İmamoğlu is elected, he will be elected with the votes of the 3 million Kurds who live in that city. He will know that he cannot do politics despite the Kurds."

Hürriyet: "Request a statement not from us, but from Temelli"

In response to criticism, Hürriyet published a statement from its site, titled, "A statement should be requested not from us, but from HDP."

In the statement, Hürriyet quoted Temelli's words, citing the state-run Anadolu Agency, and said, "hurriyet.com.tr reported the news that Temelli telling their presence in the alliance. CHP's candidates or the circles who criticize the report should request a statement not from us, but from HDP Co-Chair Sezai Temelli."

Temelli: "You made the report, why should I correct it?"

In his party's election rally in Esenler, İstanbul, Temelli reacted to the Hürriyet's statement:

"They made a false report. And then they say, 'Sezai Temelli should correct the report,' you made the report, why should I correct it?"

(AÖ/VK)